


Unspoken

by TenSpencerRiedPlease



Series: Pride Fics [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Aromantic Rhodey, Aromantic Tony Stark, Gen, M/M, Queerplatonic Relationships, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 23:08:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19261021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TenSpencerRiedPlease/pseuds/TenSpencerRiedPlease
Summary: The first time either one of them mentions it they’re in college wrapped up in the same blanket watching some shitty horror movie they both hate but that’s what’s on TV. “This is nice,” Rhodey says, arm around Tony tightening a little. Tony nods, because it is. “No, this,” Rhodey says. “What we have.” Tony nods again because he knows. Rhodey lets out an annoyed noise and Tony looks up, “you get what I’m saying, right?” he asks and Tony rolls his eyes.“I always get what you’re saying,” he points out.“Yeah but like…” Rhodey stops for a moment and considers his words.“It’s nice that we’re close but not like. Dating,” Tony says.





	Unspoken

**Author's Note:**

> A thing with aromantic people! Because they don't get enough air time and they often get confused with asexuals so have a story about aromantic people who are not also asexual!

The first time either one of them mentions it they’re in college wrapped up in the same blanket watching some shitty horror movie they both hate but that’s what’s on TV. “This is nice,” Rhodey says, arm around Tony tightening a little. Tony nods, because it is. “No, this,” Rhodey says. “What we have.” Tony nods again because he knows. Rhodey lets out an annoyed noise and Tony looks up, “you get what I’m saying, right?” he asks and Tony rolls his eyes.

“I always get what you’re saying,” he points out.

“Yeah but like…” Rhodey stops for a moment and considers his words.

“It’s nice that we’re close but not like. Dating,” Tony says. Though people wonder, _Pepper_ wonders. Probably because Pepper spends the most time with them alone and they’ve gotten comfortable with her so they don’t really hide their affection for each other the way they do around people they don’t know.

Rhodey nods, “yeah, exactly. I just… this is nice,” Rhodey says again, not really having the words to describe his feelings.

Tony shifts a little, curling into Rhodey. “I get it, wanting this kind of intimacy without the dating part. People think I’m afraid of commitment,” Tony says. “I’ve been told I want all the benefits of a relationship without the relationship part.” Repeatedly. By everyone he’s ever backed out of dating, which is everyone. And the list is long.

“People are stupid. If commit was your problem you wouldn’t have committed to basically everything else in your life,” Rhodey points out.

“I’ve been told it’s a relationship specific thing,” Tony says.

“But why’s that a bad thing? You’re painfully blunt,” Rhodey says. “I know you told people that.”

He shrugs, “doesn’t seem to matter except with you.” Rhodey gets it; Rhodey always gets what’s going on with him.

They stay silent for a long moment before Rhodey speaks again. “People think I’m in love with you,” he says and Tony frowns, looking up at him because he’s never told Tony that before. “The last three relationships I’ve had ended with them all telling me I’ll always love you more than them. Which is true, I guess.”

Tony half smiles, “I thought the last relationship you were in ended because she’s a lesbian,” he says. It was on good terms and Carol and Maria are cute together, they hang out sometimes.

Rhodey rolls his eyes, “you damn well know what I mean,” he says and yeah, Tony does, because he always knows what Rhodey is saying.

“I don’t think I want what we have with anyone else,” Tony says eventually.

“I don’t think anyone else would get it,” he says and Tony nods. They wouldn’t.

*

The crowd is thick and the lights are flashing bright. The noise is insane and Tony is kind of done with this but he’s only got a few more feet to go before he makes it to the car. Rhodey is in front of him clearing the way in a surprisingly efficient way while Happy takes up the rear. Tony’s focus is the car, straight ahead, and away from the goddamn reporters and the crowd. Fuck, fans are annoying. He kind of feels bad for thinking it; they’re half the reason why his shit is so successful but he’s tired of them fawning all over him all the time. Sometimes he just wants some fucking peace and quiet and he can’t ever get that in public. Looking at Rhodey he wishes they were back in MIT, curled up on the couch watching bad TV movies.

Its something he’s spent a lot of time on actually, but that could be because he hasn’t seen Rhodey in some time. Usually time apart doesn’t bother either of them that much, there’s an understanding that they’ll always come back to each other, but it’s been more than a year. Probably doesn’t help that they were out of contact for most of that time, necessary as part of Rhodey’s tour this time around. Fuck, Tony hates the military. Or maybe he just misses Rhodey.

Well no, he kind of hates the military.

Actually, he hates how willfully ignorant to military practices he was. Whatever, his feelings are complicated and he’s pissed off. It’s been a long two days and he’s tired. He misses Rhodey and he just wants to go home so when a stupid reporter asks his least favorite question he snaps a little.

“Tony! Tony! What’ll it take for you to settle down?” some young reporter who probably doesn’t know any better asks.

“A fucking miracle and sine I’m not the religious type that’ll never happen,” he snaps back.

“Aw come on, there’s got to be _something_ to make you consider it,” the reporter says.

What the fuck do they _teach_ these people in school? How to act like a professional moron? “I’d rather die than get married,” Tony says as they reach the car. Rhodey pulls the door open and Tony slips in. Rhodey carefully slips himself in after, blocking the reporters and fans in a practiced, easy way. They sit in silence for a few long moments, collecting themselves before Rhodey lets out an annoyed sigh.

“Fuck man, don’t you get tired of that?” he asks, sinking into his seat a little as Happy slips into the driver’s seat of the car.

Tony leans into Rhodey’s side, relaxing as Rhodey wraps an arm around him. “Every fucking day but I don’t get the luxury of just… not being a celebrity,” he says. Rhodey nods, hearing everything he isn’t saying with that too and he knows not to bother Tony at the moment. He needs some time to gather himself.

It takes another twenty minutes to get out of the throng of people and Tony’s tempted to tell Happy to just fucking run them over but that’s not much fair to Happy. Just because he finds people mobbing his car annoying doesn’t mean he can tell Happy to commit murder for him. And the people who would get run over? Well, they mobbed a car just because someone they don’t even know is in it. He sighs because that’s bitter and harsh and he needs space for a few days so it’s probably for the best that he’s headed to Malibu. Rhodey’s arm around his waist tightens a little, like he senses Tony’s thoughts but doesn’t he always?

By the time they’ve gotten home Tony doesn’t want to murder people so much anymore but he lets Rhodey lead him off to bed anyway, sinking back into a familiar routine easily. Tony throws himself on the bed and Rhodey laughs, pulling his shoes off because he’s got a _thing_ for shoes on the bed before he takes off out of the room. He allows himself a few moments before he gets up and sheds his clothing on his way to the closet.

“You gunna put clothes on or are you gunna just hang around in your skivvies?” Rhodey asks, leaning against the doorway in an old band shirt of Tony’s that’s a lot tighter on him than Tony and a pair of old sweats.

Tony rolls his eyes and walks into his closet, finding the closest pair of pajama pants to him and puts them on. “Is this better, platypus?” he asks, gesturing to himself.

Rhodey laughs a little, “yeah alright, that’s probably the best I’m going to get,” he says.

Yeah, it is so Tony grins. “Come on,” he says, climbing into bed.

“Are you getting shorter? Because it looks like you’re going to need a step stool to get into that soon,” Rhodey tells him.

Tony flips him off before he pats the bed beside him. “Well come on then, get over here.”

For the rest of the night they watch shitty eighties movies, movies from their childhood really, and lean on one another. It’s comfortable, easy. The way it’s always been.

*

Rhodey’s drinking orange juice straight from the jug when Tony walks into the kitchen. He can tell Rhodey’s got something on his mind but he waits for Rhodey to bring it up on his own. It takes awhile, most of the way through Tony’s coffee, but he spits it out eventually.

“I get it. Why you hate being asked about settling down so much,” he says.

Of course he gets it, he always does. “I know,” Tony tells him, unconcerned.

Rhodey lets out a small huff of annoyance that has Tony looking up from his cup. “No, not like- people ask me too, on base. I can’t really answer that question honestly though,” he says, giving the table a resentful look.

Tony knows that too, but he didn’t really consider that Rhodey got asked about that. “Why don’t you answer honestly?” he asks and Rhodey gives him a _look_.

“You know why. When people think ‘settle down’ they mean have a wife and kids and I’ve never wanted that. But you can’t tell people that you’d rather just live with your best friend forever, not at our age. People assume that’s only for college students and if I said that I’d be looked at as immature, childish. That’s not an image I want at work. Or anywhere,” he says. Tony supposes Rhodey has a different relationship with that than Tony. He’s always been seen as a little childish and he’s always hated that, but unlike Rhodey he never had to deal with racism in getting to where he is. Rhodey has spent a long time cultivating his image publically and professionally- there’s no way he’d go and do something to ruin it.

“Slightly better than commitment-phobic womanizing piece of shit, I guess,” he mumbles. Its not like he’s dishonest about what he wants, and he doesn’t owe anyone a relationship and he doesn’t even know _why_ people keep trying for it. There has _never_ been a time in Tony’s life where he’s wanted one so he’s baffled as to why people keep coming around looking for a ring.

“Its not like you don’t use men just as much,” Rhodey points out and Tony shrugs.

“But that doesn’t make for sensational news stories when I respond to rumors of me being gay with more rumors of me being gay,” he points out.

Rhodey snorts and starts laughing. “Yeah, alright, most of the time you’re way too extra for me but occasionally you do something that’s the right amount of dramatic. That’s definitely an example. Still though. I just… why can’t people be like you? You get it, always have,” he says.

He knows, they’ve always known each other way too well. Tony shrugs, “most people want a relationship I guess.” There’s nothing wrong with that, Tony thinks, except absolutely everything around it. The absurd notion of soul mates, the extreme pressure to be the sole emotional support in someone’s life, the toxic over attachment in point five seconds to someone you barely even know, ditching your friends as soon as you start dating someone, the weird legal attachments to marriage over any other kind of connection- Tony hates all of it.  Sure romance seems okay, but shit if people really want a romance Tony doesn’t see why they stick a stranglehold on their potential partners like that.

Frankly he’s better off with friends. People are more relaxed that way, they act more natural in the getting to know you process and they don’t expect some type of direct legal tie to you that, on a functional level, doesn’t actually _mean_ anything for the relationship. Also, people don’t seem to think friends and other friends are mutually exclusive like they do with romance and friends. In Tony’s experience people can’t seem to keep both at once without someone suffering, or claiming to suffer, for it. Maybe that’s why he’s such good friends with Rhodey.

Rhodey has never ditched him for someone he’s dated though plenty of people he’s dated have gotten irrationally jealous of Tony. Same for anyone he’s dated- his relationship with Rhodey was always seen as a threat. There’s been more than once where either they’ve been issued ultimatums- each other or whoever they were dating and the people they were dating had the audacity to be pissed they chose each other every time. Tony would never leave Rhodey for someone he’s known for less time just because there’s supposed to be a romantic attachment, that doesn’t even make _sense_.

And Tony knows Rhodey wouldn’t ever ditch him for something like that either. Probably because neither one of them has ever _really_ been into relationships and Tony long ago figured it was unfair to even put up the pretense of trying. So now he gets a bunch of flack for _that_ , like wanting a sex life without romance somehow makes _him_ the bad guy. Like people who have sex with him are entitled to his romantic affections despite being explicitly told he has none.

He sighs. “Rhodey, we’ve always been weird,” Tony points out. “Might as well accept that we’re the problem here.”

Rhodey wrinkles his nose; “problem isn’t the right word for it, Tony. I… I just don’t see why the way I’d prefer to live my life makes me inherently child-like. Its offensive and its bullshit. I knew plenty of twenty somethings that moved in together only to have that fall to shit but _they_ don’t get painted as child-like for not thinking their actions through, yet I want to live with probably the only person in the world who gets me in a way that’s not romantic and suddenly I’m lacking maturity. I’m forty five years old, its _insulting_ for people to assume that maybe I haven’t considered my life and what I want at this age because they think living with friends is for kids.”

He’s bitter, annoyed. Tony gets that too, but he’s learned to ignore it or maybe he gets shit screamed at him so much that most of the time he’s numb to it anymore. “I think with us its more that people think we _are_ in a relationship and that we’re denying it even to ourselves.” And Tony gets why people make that mistake, he and Rhodey _do_ do things that couples do. They talk, they share a deep intimacy, they’ve slept together. Multiple times. Couples do those things too, but intimacy isn’t only for romance, and people have one night stands all the time, and Tony has been reliably informed that random cashiers get assaulted with people’s life stories and sad tragic backstories all the time. So nothing he and Rhodey have done together is exclusive to romance and sure, all those things are found in romance, but they’re all found elsewhere too.

Plus Rhodey’s got a point about age and experience. Tony might have the emotional competence of a waterlogged walnut but Rhodey has always been aware of himself. And even with Tony’s awful self-awareness issues he’s always been clear on this. Neither of them has ever wanted a relationship and they both understand that they get things from each other they’d never get from any other relationship. Why it can’t exist the way they experience it at least in the eyes of other people Tony has no idea.

Rhodey rolls his eyes at that too. “Oh yeah, because in my forty five years I never considered that I was gay. I’m not and frankly I don’t really care to figure out what our sexual relationship means, its nice and I like it. That’s all I need to know. But the rest, I don’t get why people feel the need to act like I’m either dating you, secretly in love with you, or emotionally stunted for our relationship to make sense to them. We just _are_ , why do people feel the need to question that?”

Tony’s lips turn up a little as he smiles. “People like to poke at things they don’t understand,” he points out. Human nature is heavily linked with curiosity so that Tony gets, but when they ignore what Rhodey or Tony have to say on the matter, or in Tony’s case every _other_ relationship he’s been in, then he’s confused. Curiosity seeks to understand, ignorance serves to examine something within the narrow confines of what someone already thinks is happening. He’d have a lot more sympathy if people actually wanted to understand how he and Rhodey view their relationship but they don’t. People either think they’re ‘just friends’ whatever that’s supposed to mean, they assume they’re like brothers and given that they’ve slept together Tony’s quick to put out _those_ rumors, or people assume there will be a point when they leave their close relationship for a romantic partner.

It’s seen as some sort of inevitable thing, that they’ll be unable to continue their closeness if they’re married or dating someone. Or, on the flip side, people assume they’ll end up with each other. Pepper thought like that for a long time before it became undeniably obvious that Rhodey and Tony have never had an interest in dating each other.

Rhodey shifts so he’s facing Tony better. “Okay, but here’s the thing. I like what we have, and when I try to explain it to people they start trying to stick whatever this is into whatever _they_ think this is. Or, _or_! Sometimes they get offended and tell me I’m trying to have my cake and eat it too. What the fuck does that _mean_?” Rhodey asks, throwing up a hand in annoyance.

Oh yeah, Tony’s got that too. “All the benefits of a relationship but without the relationship part. Yeah, been there. Except I don’t see why wanting a sex life and some emotional intimacy needs to _come_ with a romantic attachment but whatever. You never had a problem with it, we’re still good friends,” he points out.

“Yes, _exactly_! Like its not as if I show up, fuck someone, dump all my problems on them, then _leave_. I’m looking for it to be a two way street I just don’t want the romance bit. What about that is so hard for people to get? I want friends with benefits, not a damn marriage,” he says, rolling his eyes. “But you’re the only one who seems to get that.”

“Then there’s all the bullshit about friends with benefits,” Tony says, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

Rhodey does too because he _knows_ the way he always does. “It either ruins a friendship or it’s secretly a romance, I know, I know. But I’m not in love with you. I love you, but I’m not _in love_ with you. Does that even make sense?” he asks, frowning.

Of course it does because Tony _gets_ Rhodey. He leans into his side, curling up beside him. Rhodey wraps an arm around him and Tony can breath a sigh of relief that Rhodey understands their relationship so he doesn’t have to discourage any kind of could-be-romantic contact. “It makes perfect sense because that’s how I feel too.”

*

Rhodey likes to joke that he never calls at a good time but he doesn’t really think there’s a _good_ time for news like this even if Rhodey looks tired and a little annoyed, if fond. “Hey honey bear. I uh, have some big news,” he says.

Rhodey rolls his eyes, “you’re getting married,” he says in a flat tone and Tony wrinkles his nose.

“Oh, ew. Don’t be gross. No I uh… have a kid,” he says, shifting the tablet he’s holding to reveal Peter in the background. He waves excitedly and Tony’s heart warms a little at the action. He’s never really gotten the appeal of parenthood but since Peter showed up he’s come around a little.

Rhodey, on the other hand, looks shocked. “Tones, that’s a whole ass teenager. Where the hell did you get that?” he asks. Peter looks offended but Tony knows Rhodey doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s just surprised is all.

“You remember Mary Parker? Brilliant chemist, met about fifteen or so years ago?” he asks and Rhodey shakes his head.

“No but the fact that you remembered her name speaks volumes,” he says.

He sighs, “yeah, actually I didn’t Peter reminded me of who she was and I looked her up.”

“You didn’t even _remember_ mom?” Peter asks, offended and didn’t they have this talk?

Tony lets out another sigh. “Kid, I meet a _lot_ of people. I usually only remember the ones that try and kill me. Remembered her work though, she actually was brilliant. So was her husband Richard. Anyway, turns out our meeting ended in Peter so um. Yeah, I guess I’m a father.”

That launches them into a whole long discussion about how Peter came into his life and Peter does _not_ appreciate Rhodey’s joke about him being the kiss of death to father figures. Tony reassures him that death doesn’t stick to him easily so he’s got nothing to worry about and gives Rhodey a _look_ because the kid has enough issues as it is, he doesn’t need help in that department. Point is that he’d gone looking for Tony after Ben died and May had let him, secretly hoping that meeting him would put him off it. Obviously that wasn’t the case and Tony’s read all those stupid ‘you just know’ stories about parenthood and knowing your kid but its kind of true, at least for him. He’d been pretty pissed when Pepper ran a DNA test anyway even though he knew she was looking out for him. But May out and out admitted she wanted nothing to do with him and hoped Peter would too.

They’ve since formed a better relationship if for no other reason than Peter, but he also thinks that maybe May bought into a lot of what the press says about him. He’s been reliably informed that he’s nothing like the headlines about him even if he disagrees. He’s plenty like the headlines; it’s just that that isn’t _all_ he is.

Needless to say Rhodey reacts better than he had- he’d cried, and he reacts better than May, who threatened to kill him if he hurt Peter, and Pepper, who ran secret DNA tests.

*

Peter sits at the island toying with his new phone that he’s _way_ too excited about when he looks up unexpectedly. “Hey, so what’s with you and Rhodey?” he asks. He looks so curious and open and Tony dislikes that his immediate reaction is to give him a snappy response because Peter doesn’t know about the long history of being asked stupid questions about their relationship.

Instead of doing that Tony takes a moment before he shakes his head, sighing. “It’s… complicated,” he says eventually but Peter doesn’t look deterred.

“I can do complicated,” he says and yeah sure Tony doesn’t doubt that but…

“Fuck, I don’t even know how to explain it and every time I try people don’t get it. We… we’re not together, like romantically, but we love each other- _also_ not romantically because no thanks neither of us even _want_ that, but-” he cuts himself off. “We love each other but we aren’t in love with each other,” he says eventually, waving a hand around and he knows he’s done a _god_ awful job explaining that but whatever. It’s the closest thing he has to what he feels.

Peter considers him for a moment before he puts his phone down. “Have you ever heard the term aromantic?” he asks and Tony squints.

“ _Who_?”

“Aromantic. Means you don’t experience romantic attraction, no romo if you will. Also what you’re describing kinda sounds like a queer platonic relationship. Like all the commitment and intimacy in a romance, but the platonic nature of friends combined. Also no romo,” Peter says and _what_?

“Are those even real words because they kind of sound made up,” Tony says but they also sound… familiar. Because his relationship with Rhodey _does_ have the commitment level of a romance with some of the same intimacy but in a friend way but he didn’t know there were words for that.

Peter frowns, “all words are made up. But yeah, the terms are newer. I don’t know, it just seems like that might fit and you kind of hate romance, always have according to interviews and I know aromantic people and you sound a lot like them and your relationship with Rhodey is weird- not in a bad way!- so I guess I thought-” Tony cuts him off because Peter is nervous rambling.

“You aren’t wrong,” he says. “But I didn’t… know that was a thing. Pretty sure I’m not that though. I do enjoy a sex life,” he says. Peter should know, he’s the product of it.

What if he’s got other kids floating around out there? Tony doesn’t want to think about it, its bad enough that he was absent in this one’s life he doesn’t want to find out he accidentally screwed over multiple kids.

“Oh, that’s asexual. Kind of, asexuals don’t do the sexual attraction thing. Point is they’re different, kind of related, but not the same thing. So like. You could still be aromantic. I can send you some information, if you want,” he says.

Tony considers it because it kind of sounds ridiculous but… well, it _would_ explain a lot.

*

Once again Rhodey looks annoyed at his call. “Tones. You _know_ I love you. But do you know how to call at an appropriate time?”

He rolls his eyes, “never mind that Rhodey the youth figured it out!” he says excitedly. Sure, he’d been hesitant to the idea but he’s warmed up to it after doing some reading and Peter makes a point. The _definitions_ make a point. So do the people, who seem to have all the same frustrations that he does. The same frustrations _Rhodey_ does.

“Youth figured _what_ out?” he asks, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“The stupid romance thing, why we never seem to get it. I think we’re aromantic- don’t experience romantic attraction,” he explains fast.

He expects Rhodey to react the way he had, skeptical, but he doesn’t. Instead he leans forward in sudden interest, “what did you just say?” he asks.

“Aromantic. And the way we feel too, liking the idea of being with each other no romo there’s a name for that too. Queer platonic relationship,” he says. He launches into a full explanation of what he found when he went digging, what Peter sent him, and what he’s gathered on his own and Rhodey nods along the whole way through, attention rapt.

“Holy shit,” he says, frowning. “I… shit, I feel like my whole life just fell into place.”

Tony nods because he gets it; he’s always got it. “Mine too. I have to admit I was skeptical but everything I’ve read…” he trails off because he knows Rhodey gets what he means.

“Sounds exactly like us. Even the way people talk about romance and stuff,” he says. “I… thought you were the only one who got it.”

For a long few moments they remain silent, but neither of them need to speak to know what the other is saying. “I love you, no romo,” Tony says eventually and Rhodey starts laughing, shaking his head.

“Thanks, man. I… never would have thought to look this up,” he says, shaking his head.

Neither would Tony though. “Thank Peter, he’s the one who taught me about this stuff. This is why youth are the future,” he says proudly.

*

Tony sits beside Rhodey, tucked under his arm. “People still don’t get it,” he says and Tony sighs.

“That’s because people are idiots,” he says confidently.

“That’s true, one time I met a guy who asked what a planet was,” Peter says, walking around the couch and sitting in front of them.

Tony looks at him for a long moment then turns to Rhodey. “Kid, that’s not idiocy that’s _worse_ ,” Rhodey says.

Yeah, Tony’s thoughts exactly.

**Author's Note:**

> [My writing Tumblr](https://tenspencerriedplease.tumblr.com/)


End file.
